A Toast To Love
by PacificTwist
Summary: All He wanted to do was make her happy... and all she needed to be happy was him. So where did things go so wrong? KarenGray OneShot. Please R


**A Toast to Love**

"Drink to the ones you love,

To those who you can hold and cradle in your arms,

But also to those whose warmth can no longer be felt.

Drink to your first crush, your first kiss, your first love,

But also drink to you first time being dumped,

Your first time being cheated on,

And your first time being heartbroken.

Drink to the man who is not too proud to tell you he loves you,

And to the woman who still knows it even when he can't.

Drink to the future, where young love is born everyday,

But also to the past, where old loves never die.

May you all drink to good health, beauty, freedom, and truth…

But above all…

May you all drink to love."

And _that_ is exactly what she did.

She drank.

She didn't drink to love, or to freedom, truth, beauty or health.

She drank to spite, to hate, to anger, to sorrow, and to fear.

As she drowned herself in another red wine, she finally put down her crystal glass, but only to briefly wipe a tear from her face.

Her eyes were glazed over, her once beautiful emerald eyes. Those eyes looked up from her now empty glass, and found themselves resting upon the figure of a young man. The groom, to which this toast had come. She looked from the young groom to the gleaming bride, and glared. Not out of hatred… but to keep the tears from spilling from her eyes.

She didn't know what came over her, but without any warning, she stood up with glass in hand, signaling the waiter to give her a refill. She picked up a spoon and clanged it against the side of the beautiful glass, sending the charming sound echoing through the room. Everyone at the reception adverted their gaze from the beautiful toast from the groom, and switched their views to the intoxicated young brunette who was currently waving her glass in the air.

"Yes… Yes... Yessss…. Drink to _Love_. If I may… you charming people, I'd like to congratulate the young bride and groom, and… Make a toast of my own." With a sly grin on her face, she looked to the groom, who was shaking his head in discomfort.

I too say drink to love,

Drink to the love that envelopes a body so completely,

That they let down all the guard they once contained.

Drink to the love that blinds the naïve eye from seeing the truth,

A truth so real that is could _kill_.

Drink to the love that whispers sweet nothings into one's ears,

Only so that can hear nothing _but_ than the lies hidden in those whispers.

And then, in the end, when that love _dies_…

They are left only as blind, deaf, and helpless.

But yes… I _do_ say… drink to love.

And at that, she walked out of the reception, dragging her broken heart behind her.

* * *

Things had not been like this before between the two… actually, they were quite the opposite.

They were in love.

A love so pure, so deep, that no one could remember when it all began. It was as though the two had always been, the joining of the secret dancer, and the overworked blacksmith's apprentice.

But they had not always been. The girl, Karen, had lived there her entire life, but the boy, Gray, had been shipped off by his parents in order to help his elderly grandfather and learn the family trade. He still remembers the first time he saw her, and she will never forget his gazing eyes.

It was the Goddess festival; the two were only a sweet sixteen years of age. He was new to the town, and his grandfather let him off for the night, and what a perfect night it was. As he walked into the square, the brilliant lights gave way to the stage, where five girls took their places. Five girls, and yet he only saw one.

One girl, a delicate brunette, a slim figure, a pale complexion, and the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen. So gracefully she danced, like a butterfly floating on air. She was a dancer, he could tell. As he watched her twirl, her eyes caught his, and she smiled. He pulled his cap down over his eyes, but something had grabbed a hold of his hand. He looked up into the beautiful green eyes he had just been admiring, and smiled in return.

"Dance with me."

And _that_… was where it all began.

That soft smile turned into a crush, from there it grew to a secret infatuation, and soon a young love. The two were inseparable. From Sunday mornings, hand in hand at the service in the church, to Friday nights snuggled close on the beach. He would steal her away from her house at night, and kiss her under the bright harvest moon. Her parents never knew.

When Saibara was away from the shop, Karen would sneak in, only to distract him from his heavy load, with soft butterfly kisses on his neck. The physical intimacy the two shared between then was something of envy, but the love they possessed was that of a dream.

It was a dream, a beautiful dream, an everlasting dream. But one day, reality struck.

It was the day of the goddess festival. The two were now a ripe eighteen years, and still in love. It had been two years to the day since she asked him to dance, but this day would not be so perfect.

"Gray, come here, I need to have a talk with you." It was the voice of Karen's father Jeff. Gray slipped into the shop, it was only an hour until the festival.

"Gray… you are a great guy, and my daughter truly loves you, and I can tell that you love her the same. But Gray, have you seen her dance?" Gray nodded. "Exactly… oh and what a dancer she is. She could be a star, she could be famous, and she could have so much. So much more than a worn down shop in the middle of nowhere, a crappy father who can't even afford to buy her a necklace for her eighteenth birthday, and a boyfriend that is destined to a blacksmith." Jeff was becoming frustrated.

"Jeff… I'm working hard, I can buy a house in the mountain, I can order things from the city, all I want to do is make her happy. I can buy her what she needs," Gray started, but was interrupted by a nearly yelling Jeff.

"No boy… you can't. You're a blacksmith, a low blue collar worker like myself. She deserves so much more than this place, and I don't have the power or money to give her that… nor do you… Gray… I want her to be happy as well… but the only way she will be happy is if she goes to the city, and pursues a job as a dancer. Let her go to the city Gray... Let her go…" Jeff stopped… he was almost out of breath. Gray turned to see Sasha almost weeping at the door. He turned and left, tears in his eyes.

That night as he watched her dance, he knew that Jeff was right. He had to hurt her… he had to let her go. As she tried to kiss him that night after the show, he turned his head in smug refuse. As she tried to speak to him that night, he only mumbled in reply. He was a far better actor than he ever hoped to be.

"Gray… what's wrong?" she asked, a worried look on her face.

"Nothing…" he choked.

"You lie... I hate to see you unhappy. Gray… please talk to me… I love you."

"That's the thing Karen… I… I don't…"

"Don't what?"

"I don't love you Karen!" He found himself screaming, only to contain his tears behind closed eyes. He didn't want to do this… he didn't _want_ to hurt to... but he had to.

"Gray... what happened? What did I do?" She took his hand in hers, looking pleadingly into his eyes.

"I just… _don't_ love you anymore… move on with your life."

She was speechless, the tears now flowing freely. She slowly got to her feet, and turned to walk away, letting Gray's hand slip gently from hers. He missed the warmth. As he watched her walk away from him… he cried.

Not but two weeks later, Karen left for the city, an audition letter gripped tightly in he hand.

* * *

A year later, Gray had taken his own advice to move on, but not to a better life… no. His grandfather had died, leaving him a broken business that he could not support. A letter was sent in the mail telling him of the divorce of his parents. And worse yet, he was engaged to a girl he didn't love.

Then, in the midst of all these tortures… she returned...

She was a famous dancer now, she had fame, and fortune… but she was missing one thing, one thing she wanted more than anything. And she had come back to get it. She figured… maybe… just maybe Gray would love her now that she was famous... now that she had something to give him. When she had left, she was nothing, but now…

She found him the night she returned, hoping that things would go back to the way they once were one year prior. They sat together that night, up on the mountain where the two had spent many nights before. She told him of her success, and how much she missed him.

As he looked at her smiling face, he wanted so much to reach out and hold her, to tell her he loved her, to kiss her, and to keep her forever…

But she had so much now… and he dared not take it away.

He heard soft music coming from the town square, for it was yet again the flower goddess festival. He led her down to the square, knowing soon that he would have to tell her of his engagement, but he couldn't… not tonight.

When they reached the square, she looked right into his eyes and took his hand.

"Dance with me."

And they danced… they danced like they had years before. The bond was still between then, the love that they had would never break, but they would never be together. That night ended, truths were told, and tears were shed.

In the end, all the blacksmith wanted to do was make her happy, even if that meant letting her go…

And yet… all the dancer needed to be happy… was him.


End file.
